Abstract
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak generated an unprecedented set of emotional challenges for women diagnosed with breast cancer. In the United Kingdom (UK), the pandemic significantly disrupted oncology services as resources were reassigned to care for COVID-19 patients. In addition to service disruptions, many women received a UK Government letter advising them to shield for 12-weeks. We aimed to explore the effect of disruption to scheduled oncology services and the UK Government shielding letter on emotional and cognitive vulnerability. A further aim was to investigate the relationship between COVID-19 related emotional vulnerability (COVID-EMV) and anxiety, depression and perceived cognitive function. Women diagnosed with primary breast cancer (N = 234) completed a series of online questionnaires to assess their cognitive and emotional wellbeing as well as their COVID-EMV. Results indicated that disrupted oncology services had a significant impact on COVID-EMV, anxiety and depression, with those experiencing disruptions expressing higher general emotional vulnerability as well as COVID-EMV. Further, the UK Government letter had a significant effect on perceived cognitive function; those who received the letter reported poorer cognitive function. Regression analyses revealed that after allowing for the effects of sociodemographic and clinical variables, women’s COVID-EMV significantly predicted worse outcomes of anxiety, depression and perceived cognitive function. Our findings indicate that concerns about COVID-19 amongst women affected by breast cancer leads to increased risk of developing affective disorder, such as anxiety and depression symptomatology, among this sample. We advocate the rapid implementation of accessible interventions designed to promote emotional resilience in the breast cancer population.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has escalated into a global pandemic at a formidable rate
The results showed that disruption to scheduled oncology services had a significant main effect on women’s COVID-EMV (F (1, 230) = 9.68, p = 0.002), general anxiety (F (1, 230) = 5.69, p = 0.02), and depression (F (1, 230) = 7.22, p = 0.01)
The current study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cognitive and emotional health in a group of women affected by primary breast cancer
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has escalated into a global pandemic at a formidable rate. Whilst this has caused unprecedented disruption to populations globally, it is a worrying time for vulnerable groups with pre-existing health conditions, including women with a breast cancer diagnosis. Additional cancer deaths may result from the direct effects of contracting COVID-19, or the indirect effects of the pandemic on disruption of cancer treatment services and delays in diagnosis. In the midst of a global pandemic, it is understandable that individuals with ambiguous symptoms, which may or may not reflect cancer disease, are reluctant to seek help
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